Watonga Main Street's 'Business of the Month' for November 2007 is Clewell's Hardware.

Clewell's Hardware has always been so important to our community providing citizens with necessities that you'll find on the many aisles in the store all the way up to luxury items like big screen televisions.  (Oh wait, a big screen can be a necessity) Clewell's Hardware is a social place!  Lots of us find out who is marrying who with their bridal registries.  We run into people we haven't seen in a while so we block the 'plumbing' aisle while we finish our conversation.  I've never been told to move or move out. I love the way that Clewell's Hardware can help me quickly find what I'm looking for, even with the bad description that I deliver for the thingy. They know that I must rush back to finish or fix or possibly tear up whatever project that I'm working on.

I admire the demeanor of the people that work/manage/own/whatever in Clewell's Hardware; always smiling, always interested in me and always ready with a slew of information about whatever item I'm interested in knowing about.

The store has a very interesting history. 

Clemon Clewell (who was born and grew up in Watonga)  and Rita Wilson Clewell (Enid) married in 1946; Clemon went to work for Rice Hardware located at 103 E. Main (where an antique store is now).  This particular business originally began as Rose Hardware in 1911; it turned in to Albin and Rice somewhere along the way.  But in 1984, Clemon and Rita purchased the business from Eloise Rice and moved all the stock along with locks and barrels to a newly remodeled building at 206 W. Main.

Now their kids (David, Paul, Marcia and Don) had all been involved with the business; working their way through high school and college.  And now at the new location, Rita had her own restaurant, 'Rita's Country Kitchen'.  Rita's cinnamon rolls are world famous; I've told everyone!

Clemon laughs that it took citizens a while to get used to the name change.  People still made out their checks to 'Rice Hardware' and called Clemon 'Mr. Rice' for quite some time.  What's in a name as long as the bank account number is correct.

There are bright new things happening at Clewell's Hardware with Aaron (Clemon's grandson) managing the store.  You can now buy cell phones and furniture and top-of-the-line vacuum cleaners and washing machines and clothes dryers and televisions.  We Watongans appreciate Clewell's Hardware keeping up with our needs.  And with all that extra inventory, there is still room for two neighbors to stand in the aisle and visit.